


the most wonderful time of the year

by hbalbat



Series: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Fluff, Ice Skating, Loads of Surprises, M/M, New Year's Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:42:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25963792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hbalbat/pseuds/hbalbat
Summary: After saving up for a few months, Steve and Bucky were able to spend the holidays in New York City. It’s New Year’s Eve, their last night here. To make the most of it, Steve surprises Bucky with an evening of love and fun.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Series: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1884475
Comments: 7
Kudos: 12





	the most wonderful time of the year

**Author's Note:**

> This was just a little something I wrote up to help get my mind off of everything stressful that I had going on in my life this past week (well, at least it started little. It kind of turned into this huge thing, but I guess I’m not complaining). And honestly, what could be better than zooming forward to the end of this year and reading about our favorites? I hope that you enjoy this little fic I wrote up using some of my experiences in NYC (and a bit of research too)! If you aren’t from around here and you don’t know the specific names of places, don’t worry, it’s not that important.
> 
> Also, a quick side note: I thought I did a ton of research for this, but clearly not enough because it wasn’t until I was halfway through editing the finished fic that to go to Times Square on New Year’s Eve, it’s actually free (apparently it’s a first-come, first-serve basis? 🤷🏼♀️). But, that said, I was way too fried to figure out a way to change it by the time I noticed. So there’s kind of an illogical part in this story? Just let me have this 😂. Also, there IS actually a drink at the restaurant I chose (completely by accident!) called ‘The End of the Line’! I think that this was meant to be. Speaking of which, Steve stayed in this fic → it’s canon-divergent, post Endgame (except everyone lives, because why not?)

_**It’s the most wonderful time of the year** _

_**There’ll be much mistletoeing** _

_**And hearts will be glowing** _

_**When loved ones are near** _

_**It’s the most wonderful time of the year** _

This year, Steve and Bucky were in New York City for the holidays. Steve, wanting to treat Bucky to something extra special and romantic for Christmas this year, had saved up enough for a week-long vacation for the both of them that would last until the new year. Steve had surprised Bucky with the trip at the end of November when Bucky had asked him why they hadn’t started decorating for Christmas yet (because of course Bucky is the type who wants to start decorating in like, October).

“Steve, why haven’t we started decorating for Christmas yet? Thanksgiving already passed, and you know that’s the week I like to start picking out my Christmas candles!” Bucky complained. Steve breezes right past Bucky’s whining as he replies with a grin, “oh, Bucky. I know you love putting up the Christmas tree and your ‘holiday-scented’ candles, but I think I have something better for you.” 

“Hmm… I don’t know. I mean, you know how much I love my ‘Festival of Lights’ and ‘Balsam and Cedar’ Yankee Candles,” Bucky huffs with pouty lips. Steve ignores Bucky once again as he grabs his laptop and opens the tab. “Look at this, hun,” Steve calls from the desk, not breaking his focus from the screen. With a sigh loud enough for Steve to hear, Bucky joins Steve to look at the “better-than-candles-and-Christmas-trees surprise.” 

All of Bucky’s complaints ceased when he saw what Steve had to show him. On the screen, he was greeted with images of a 5-star hotel, complete with a cafe, restaurant, rooftop bar, and breathtaking city views. “Steve, what is this?” Bucky asked, not believing what he was seeing. “Mmm, it’s just a little something I have been saving up for recently. I want to treat you right, Bucky. At least let me spoil you this holiday season. Please? For me?”

Bucky stares at Steve, not knowing what to say. How about, “thank you, Steve!” or “you really didn’t have to, Steve” or “oh my gosh, Steve, I’m so excited, when are we going?” But alas, all he could do was sit there, mouth agape. The corner of Steve’s lip curled into a slight smirk, knowing full well that his gift was good enough to shut his boyfriend up. 

That night, Steve and Bucky planned until dawn, not wanting to stop until they felt they had a complete bucket list. They would take the train in from Brooklyn to Midtown Manhattan, and from there, they would walk to the hotel. At the end of the night, Steve and Bucky were both just ecstatic that they were going to be able to get away from the everyday work with their teammates.

During their week in NYC, Steve and Bucky had completed nearly everything on their bucket list. Their list had included going for a horse-drawn carriage ride in Central Park (a night ride, of course), walking around the Christmas market in Bryant Park, and even sharing a few milkshakes at Ellen’s Stardust Diner (complete with wait staff karaoke!!). 

Not to mention, they had gone shopping in Times Square a few times, because inevitably, Steve knew he’d treat Bucky to a few souvenirs. On a few occasions, they had even gone to see a few shows on Broadway: that is, if they were feeling up to it. Bucky made sure to document it all on their camera so they would be able to take the pictures home to make a scrapbook. In general, there were plenty of kisses, fun experiences, and much mistletoeing to be remembered.

Tonight was their last night seeing as it was New Year’s Eve, so Steve knew they had to make the most of it. There was still one thing they hadn’t done together that was on their bucket list, and that was ice skate at the Rockefeller Center.

In their hotel room, Bucky slouches back on the couch while Steve leans against the pillows on the bed’s headboard. “Well, Buck, it’s our last night here. I can’t believe it’s already almost over,” Steve says with a sigh. “Hey, don’t rush it, sweetie. We still have the entire evening to pack in a ton of fun,” Bucky replies hopefully. 

“I know, you’re right. But there’s still one thing we haven’t done together that we had put on the list. We need to go ice skating at Rockefeller!” Steve suggests. With a small scoff and a raised eyebrow, Bucky says, “can’t you like, not skate?” Although Steve nods his head, he responds with a “yeah, but I’m willing to try anything for you, Buck.”

Although they had walked around the Rockefeller Christmas tree on Christmas Eve, they hadn’t gotten the chance to ice skate the last time they were there. Tonight, Steve was clad in a cozy pecan-colored flight jacket with jeans and dress shoes, while Bucky wanted to dress up a bit more. He decides to show off in a navy peacoat, black skinny jeans, black boots, and a colorful pom-pom beanie. “You never know when you’re going to need to take a decent picture,” he reminded Steve.

As Bucky gets him and Steve the skates, Steve admires him from afar. The warm yellow glow of the Christmas lights made him look even more angelic now, and it reminded Steve of all the reasons he loved Bucky. He’s brought back to reality when Bucky returns with the skates. 

“Whatcha’ doing, pal?” Bucky questions with raised eyebrows. “Just waiting for you, Bucky,” Steve responds nonchalantly. Bucky laughs and hands Steve his skates as he sits on the bench to lace up his own. Bucky has gone ice skating before, but Steve is new to this. Bucky stands up to walk into the rink and turns back to Steve, who he notices is having a little bit of trouble lacing his skates up correctly.

“Need some help, sweetie? Bucky asks. “Yes, please,” Steve responds shyly and sticks out his feet so Bucky can re-tie them for him. Holding out his hand, Bucky helps Steve up, and they begin to walk to the rink gate.

Bucky takes the first step onto the ice and glides around for a bit. Steve, on the other hand, is timid. Even though he had a firm footing as a supersoldier on land, on thin blades, he was a mess. He takes his first wobbly step onto the ice, gripping the railing as tightly as he can. Underneath him, his legs begin to tremble.

As Bucky does a lap around the rink, Steve watches from the edge. He was sure that at some points, Bucky was trying to show off: skating backward, through families of people, and even doing graceful spins. Bucky eventually comes back over, wanting to share this beautiful moment with his Stevie. 

“What’s wrong, honey? Need some help?” Bucky says with a chuckle as he looks to Steve’s death grip on the railing. Steve looks back to Bucky meekly, embarrassed that he wants help from his boy.

“Can you please hold my hand?” Steve asks Bucky. He wonders how Bucky can be so graceful on the ice. Steve, unlike Bucky, looked like a bumbling baby bear in his skates. Still adorable as ever, in Bucky’s opinion, but with a smirk, he reaches out his hand to let Steve hold on.

They skate around the rink, passing all of the other couples and families who are enjoying their holidays together. Although Steve has a bit of a tough time, Bucky guides him with one hand on Steve’s waist and the other holding his mittened hand.

“Hey, let’s come over here,” Bucky suggests after some time as he pulls Steve to the center of the rink. Looking up, they can see the towering Christmas tree adorned in ornaments, the bright star seeming to scrape the night sky. 

Steve smiles as he looks to Bucky, holding both of his hands now. Bucky returns the same smile with a gleam in his eye. Before Steve has the chance to say anything, Bucky skates forward to close the gap between them. He wraps his arms around Steve’s torso as he puts his lips on Steve’s. Steve begins to soften into the kiss, placing his hands on Bucky’s pom-pom beanie and pulling him in tighter. It was only after a moment Steve remembered he had a surprise for Bucky.

“Hey, Buck, come with me. I have something to show you,” Steve mentions as he pulls away, though he doesn’t necessarily want to. Although Bucky frowned as Steve let go of him, it was replaced with a newfound hopeful and excited look in his eyes. “Really?” Bucky asks.

“Really. Now let’s go, you know I can’t get back to the railing by myself,” Steve laughs. With a roll of his eyes, Bucky aids Steve back to the rink’s exit with a grin.

After gathering their few belongings, Bucky and Steve head over to a bench. “Now, what is it you had to show me?” Bucky asks, eyes wide. He fiddles with the camera lens cover in his lap as he watches Steve reach into his bag’s pocket. “One minute, they should be in here somewhere,” Steve mumbles under his breath.

After a few moments, Steve whips out two BallDrop passes to watch the New Year’s ball drop in Times Square. Bucky’s face lights up in glee. “How did you get these, Steve?” Bucky asks. “I may have had to work a bit more to save up some extra money than what I originally told you,” Steve mentions. “Even if it meant working longer each week, I think that it was worth it to see the happiness in your expression, Buck.” Bucky sits in silence for a minute, the bustling environment being the only noise around them. “Stevie… you really didn’t have to do that,” Bucky starts. “But thank you so much. These mean so much to me. Really.”

Bucky’s eyes start to water a little bit, just elated that his sweetheart had saved up some extra money to leave Bucky with yet another surprise. “Oh, stop it, you punk. You shouldn’t be crying on New Year’s Eve!” Steve says as he pulls Bucky into a hug. “And really, it was no problem at all. It’s not every day that we can see the New Year’s Ball drop in person!”

They had a few hours to kill, seeing as the Rockefeller Rink closed at 9:00 pm on New Year’s Eve. They did have to get to Times Square at least an hour early to get the best spot, but it was only 8:30 pm now. That meant they’d have at most two and a half hours to go to the Bar Sixty-Five restaurant for drinks and a dessert before heading over.

“Hey, Buck. We have a few hours before we have to get to Times Square. You up for a treat? Just my one last surprise,” Steve asks Bucky. “Aw, sweetheart, you really love spoiling me, don’t you? I wish I could treat you to something,” Bucky responds with a small frown, feeling guilty that he couldn’t do anything in return.

“Hey, don’t feel bad, hun. If you want to make it up to me, how ‘bout getting me a drink to celebrate?” Steve says with a playful nudge to Bucky’s rib. Bucky tilts his head and huffs out a small breath of laughter. “Of course. I owe you one, though.”

Once Steve and Bucky got to the Bar Sixty-Five restaurant, they were seated in a booth immediately. Luckily, this restaurant cost a little more, so it didn’t pull in as many guests. Steve was willing to spend a little bit more to spoil his honey. At least it would mean their final meal in NYC would be a bit more intimate.

“So, Bucky. After looking at the options, I think that we could order a drink each and share a dessert? Your choice, of course,” Steve explains as he opens the menu from the waiter. While leaning over Steve’s shoulder, Bucky peers at the menu. “That sounds great to me. And I’ll cover the drinks for us,” Bucky offers.

They take a few moments to choose and eventually decide on sharing a Flaming “Choco-Feller” Alaska. Bucky decides to order one of ‘The Silver Slippers,’ made with authentic Brooklyn gin, while Steve takes a drink called ‘The End of the Line.’ He didn’t need to hear what was in it; he just knew it would mean something to him and Bucky, perfect to make a memory.

After enjoying their drinks and feeding each other little spoonfuls of their dessert, Steve checked his watch. The clock read 10:30 pm. That should give them 15-30 minutes to get over to Times Square and check in to see the ball drop. Steve motions the waiter over, and they pay the bill so they can head out.

“So, Buck. Have you enjoyed our last evening so far?” Steve questions as they begin walking. With a loving gaze in his eyes, Bucky responds with an, “of course I have, Stevie. I always enjoy my time with you.” Bucky grabs Steve’s hand and swings it between them as they take their leisurely city stroll towards Times Square.

As they walked, Steve thought to himself. He knew he wanted to make this night extra-special for his Bucky. He knew he would shower him with affection as the ball dropped, who cares if his sweetie was “embarrassed.” As they got closer, Steve’s free hand fidgeted in his pocket; he was just so excited.

Once they got a bit closer to Times Square, Bucky looked upwards to see the brightly-lit ball up in the air. Bucky’s face instantly lit up as he began to jog, dragging Steve along. “Come on, Stevie! We’ve gotta go check-in!”

It takes a while, but finally, Bucky and Steve checked in to the Times Square New Year’s BallDrop event. There were news reporters everywhere, everyone surrounded in warm lights and snow, and people were crowding around. Despite all of the bustling, Steve and Bucky stayed in their own little bubble.

“I know that we are only a few hours away from home, Steve. But I genuinely want to thank you for taking me on this trip. You are the best boyfriend I could ever ask for,” Bucky says, all sentimental. They both laugh, and Steve takes his turn to speak. “Bucky, I want you to know that you deserve all of my love. You are worth the spoiling. I love you so much, Buck.”

Before either one of them gets another word in, they cup each other’s jawlines and lean into a kiss, the drinks and dessert still lingering on their lips from earlier. Bucky pulls away first to say, “I love you, Steven Rogers. But can you turn around? It’s about to start.” Steve rolls his eyes but obliges, Bucky bear-hugging Steve from behind and showering him with a bunch of kisses. Steve cranes his neck down to do the same to Bucky’s hand. 

All Steve can hear are people chanting the numbers along with the big screen. “...5, 4, 3, 2, 1! HAPPY NEW YEAR!” everyone shouts in unison. Amongst all the cheering and clapping, Steve hears a quiet, “Happy New Year, Rogers. This year will be a great one.” It’s Bucky, who’s now turned around, looking up at him, eyes pleading for another kiss. Steve does nothing but answers his desires.

After pulling away for air, Steve gets an idea. “Hey, Buck. Can you get me the camera? I want to get a picture of this.” Bucky glares at him but grabs it anyway. Steve asks a bystander if he can get a recording of everything going on.

“Stevieee, why do we need to take a picture? I was joking about dressing up in case of a picture earlier! What are youー” Bucky begins, but he is cut off by his own hands flying to cover his mouth, along with a gasp.

Steve drops down to his knee and holds out a small box, an engagement ring inside. “Yeah, about that ‘last surprise.’ I guess I had one more up my sleeve. James Buchanan Barnes, I have known you since pretty much day one in my life. We’ve been best friends since childhood, and we’ve been inseparable on both schoolyard and battlefield. Even though the forces of life have tried to pull us apart many, _many_ times, we always manage to find a way back to each other. I love you so much, Buck, and I’m with you ‘till the end of the line, pal. Bucky Barnes, will you marry me?” 

The crowd around them backs up, mouths open in awe. Some even take out their phones to start recording. Bucky doesn’t say anything for a moment. He stays there, frozen, mouth covered with his mittens. All Steve can see is his boy, eyes welling up in what he hopes to be pure joy and surprise.

“Steve…” Bucky starts to say, still speaking through his hands. He slowly lowers them, taking in the weight of what Steve had just told him. He laughs through his tears to take away some of the silence between them.

“Well?” Steve inquires, hoping he’d hear the answer he wants. Bucky immediately begins to nod his head as he cries, “yes! God, of course, yes!” Steve’s own eyes start to water as he rises and rushes to Bucky. He pulls him into a warm embrace, their hearts both glowing, forgetting everyone and everything around them.

After pulling away, Steve slips the ring onto Bucky’s metal finger and takes back his camera from the man, thanking him. After things had settled down a little bit, Bucky speaks first. “Steve, how could you propose to me tonight? I didn’t even do my hair tonight! I have a striped pom-pom beanie and a peacoat on!”

Steve rolls his eyes. “Bucky, two things. First of all, no matter what you look like, I find you beautiful. And I always will. But _especially_ tonight. This outfit is what you were wearing for our _engagement_ , for God’s sake. And second, could you forget about your appearance for one second and just kiss me already? Looking good is what the wedding is for,” he responds playfully.

“Oh, Rogers, I’m just teasing you. As if the infinite kisses of affection during the entire ball drop event wasn’t enough for you. Come here, you punk,” Bucky coos, surging forward to give Steve, his new fiance, one final kiss.

“I wonder what we’re gonna tell the rest of the team when we get back tomorrow afternoon,” Steve says. “I don’t know, but you’re the one who’s gonna tell it. I was just the one being proposed to, so I’m off the hook. It wasn’t my idea,” Bucky answers with a shrug.

“Wow. I’m still just surprised you said yes. Are you sure you want to get married to me?” Steve questions. Bucky stares at Steve as he says, “yes, Steve. I’m sure. And even if I didn’t, I wouldn’t embarrass you like that in front of everyone else. I love you so much, honey.” 

With a small smile, Steve looks into Bucky and back into the night sky. Skyscrapers towered above them both, warm yellow lights and falling snow surrounding the both of them. It was like they were in their own little world when their loved one was near. “This really is the most wonderful time of the year, isn’t it, Buck?”

Bucky gives a little chuckle as he looks to Steve and says, “it sure is, Stevie.”

_**It’s the most wonderful time of the year** _

_**There was much mistletoeing** _

_**Their hearts were both glowing** _

_**When their loved one was near** _

_**It’s the most wonderful time of the year** _


End file.
